The present invention relates to a processing system for automatically conveying paper sheets, e.g., a bundle of bills which are banded by a bundling strip, to an inspecting apparatus and then processing the bundle.
A bundle processing system, i.e., a banknote processing system has been proposed, in which packs of banknotes such as bills are inserted in an inspecting apparatus incorporated in the system, and the packing strip holding each pack is automatically removed, and the banknotes picked up one by one. Thereafter, the banknotes are inspected, and are sorted and stacked, based on the inspection results.
More specifically, banknotes are banded into packs each consisting of 100 banknotes by use of packing strips such as paper bands, with 10 packs of banknotes then being banded into a bundle by use of bundling strips. When such a bundle is inserted into the processing system, the bundling strip is cut by a cutter incorporated in a preprocessing unit, for it to be unbundled into 10 separate packs. Thereafter, the packing strips are cut, and 100 banknotes (an open pack) are conveyed, at one time, to an unbanded banknote pickup unit, by a paper sheet supply unit, while the notes remain loosely stacked. The unbanded banknote pickup unit continuously picks up the banknotes supplied to it by the supply unit, one by one, starting with the uppermost banknote, and conveys them to the inspecting apparatus. In the inspecting apparatus, each banknote is subjected to inspection to check for "damage" or "authenticity", and is subsequently stacked in a predetermined stacker, in accordance with the inspection result. The stacked banknotes are again banded into packs in units of 100 banknotes, and 10 packs of banknotes are then banded into a bundle, and the bundle discharged from the inspecting apparatus.
However, conventionally, bundles of bills are inserted manually into the inspecting apparatus by an operator, who also removes the bundling strip. The inspected bundles discharged from the inspecting apparatus are conveyed manually, again by the operator, from the inspecting apparatus to a predetermined stacking place. Thus, the operator must remove the bundling strip, insert the packs into and take them from the inspecting apparatus, which is inefficient as regards work performance.